village The area was fairly uninhabited until Texas investor John H. Jackson constructed his Kona Village Resort in 1961. At first all equipment came in by boat, and then a small airstrip was built. Instead of the typical concrete tower, traditional island architecture was used in individual houses. The airstrip is now used as a heliport. Four Seasons Resort Hualalai The Toronto-based Four Seasons chain opened a resort in 1996 at Kaūpūlehu. The resort makes use of natural materials indigenous to Hawaii, including rattan, bamboo and lava rock. It was among the 100 of Travel + Leisure's world's best resorts awards in a readers poll in 2007, 2008, and 2009, and ranked in several "top lists" by Zagat Surveys. Condé Nast Traveler placed the resort on their "Gold list" for best resorts since 2005. Four Seasons Resort Hualalai was one of only three AAA Five Diamond Award winning hotels in Hawaii. A par-72 18-hole golf course was designed by Jack Nicklaus. Golf Magazine ranked the course one of the best in America to play in 2002 and it annually hosts the Champions Tour's Mitsubishi Electric Championship at Hualalai. Other amenities include spa services, five pools, and fitness facilities. Alan Wong had a restaurant at the resort from 2003 to 2008. Kūkio In 1999 another golf course and expensive vacation home development was built to the south called Kūkio, and then expanded to the north in 2007. The original developer was the Discovery Land Company. The Kona Shuttle is a private membership-based airline which operates weekly flights to the resorts at Kaūpūlehu. Kona Shuttle flights are presently largely provided by KaiserAir. In the Hawaiian Language Kū kio'' means "small pool of water". Fishing is controlled in the area. See also Ala Kahakai National Historic Trail References Geography of Hawaii (island) Landforms of Hawaii (island)